Shirt



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. A. BROWN.

Shirt.

. 17129.1. Patented Jan. I8, I881.

W i tnass as ".FETmPROTO-U'ENOGRAPMER, WASI'IIIGTON, D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. BROWN, OF TROY, NEW YORK.

SHIRT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 236,770, dated January 18, 1881.

Application filed November 17, 1879.

. To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES A. BROWN, of the city of Troy, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shirts, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to a means of strengthening the body of the garment. More particularly, it relates to strengthening the parts at the sides of the bosom, where the greatest wear occurs, and where damage by use is usually first seen. The invention is, however, applicable to the back of the shirt, to the whole or parts of the sleeves, or to other portions of the body of the garment. The means used for strengthening the shirt also serve for purposes of ornamentation.

The invention consists in a shirt strengthened about the body parts by plaited or folded re-enforcing pieces, either formed in the fabric itself or of separate fabric, and stitched down, as hereinafter particularly described.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, Figures 1 and 2 are front views of shirts exhibiting the invention. Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are views showing a variety of ways in which the plaited or folded re-enforcement may be formed in or applied to the fabric of which the body of the shirt is made.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the views.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the body of the shirt is plaited, as shown at a a a, from the sides of the bosom to the outside scams, 1). The dotted lines show the stitching. The bosom Ais thus united to the outer seam by strips .of material of increased thickness, and a great proportion of the strain of wear removed from the sides of the bosom and transferred to the outer seams.

Heretofore there has not been an equal proportion of strength given to the bosom and to the parts of the body of the shirt immedidiately connected therewith. The bosom having been made up thicker and stronger than the body fabric, the 1 union of the two in the ordinary manner has' caused them to separate at the point of union by the breaking of the latter. This difficulty is obviated by the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the connection of the bosom to the outer seams, in

I the manner shown, not only transferring a great part of the strain to said seams, but giving greater inherent strength to the parts of the body uniting with the bosom, and qualifying them to be more strongly connected therewith.

The reinforcing of the material is susceptible of various modifications of design, some of which are illustrated in the remaining figures. The plaiting may be horizontal, as shown in Fig. 1, or diagonal, as shown in Fig. 2, or in any direction adapted to receive the strain of wear.

In Fig. 3 the re-enforced material is made up of several pieces, sewed together to repreresentplaits or tucks, stitched down. Fig. 4 shows one thickness of fabric, re-enforced by pieces sewed on to resemble plaits. Fig. 5 shows two thicknesses of fabric, re-enforced by mock plaits or tucks, stitched down. Fig. 6 shows one thickness of fabric, re-enforced by a second thickness having regular plaits formed therein and stitched down. Fig. 7 shows a single thickness, re-enforced by regular plaits formed therein, and stitched down. Fig. 8' shows a single thickness, re-enforced bya regular plait formed therein, not stitched down. Thus it will be seen that two, three, or more thicknesses of material may be used, and plaits, or imitations of plaits, formed for strengthening the body of the shirt. As before stated, any part of the body of the shirt may be strengthened in this manner.

1f desired, the plaiting may run under the bosom across the front of the shirt, the bosom covering the same. The plaiting may also serve as an ornamentation.

I do not claim plaiting the bosom of the shirt, as this is common; but,

Having described my improvements, I claim as my invention As a new article of manufacture, a shirt the bodyparts of which are strengthened by plaited orfolded re-enforcing pieces, stitched down, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereto subscribe my name this 12th day of November, A. D. 1879.

CHAS. A. BROWN.

Witnesses S. D. HOPKINS, WM. L. HORSFALL. 

